


Alternatives are worse

by aleba



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-05
Updated: 2013-02-05
Packaged: 2017-11-28 08:23:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/672290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aleba/pseuds/aleba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>she cannot help to appreciate irony that one of most dangerous assassins will die from simple drug incompatibility<br/>____________<br/>the another call story :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. stalemate

They have reached stalemate, where no side could easily get what they desire. Of course, tied, wounded and unarmed, her situation is worse, but to her captors she is like luggage without handle – impossible to carry, unproductive just to trow away.

They already tried to get her talk. Middle aged man in suit kept asking her idiotic questions. Like "Where is your master?" Rotting in nameless river, next to nameless secret town deep in Siberia, she is tempted to reply, but that would be giving information, so she stays silent. "How are you supposed to report about mission?" "Where is the rest black widows?" "Who from government oversees the program?" The questions are good source of information, so she listens and makes conclusions. Whoever managed to find out about her enough to put sniper on way, turns out to be pathetically uninformed. They still believe that black widow program is up and running and that she is their crown jewel. Good luck hunting ghosts, Natasha thinks, remembering the red glow of fire she saw over tundra when leaving after burning down Red room. As long as she is alive, no one will resurrect that monstrosity. The balding man looks to wall with desperation in his face. Cameras or joined room, Black widow thinks, "And now the team of experts are preparing the scenario to get me talk, not realizing someone knows what they look for and play them too"

She already tried to escape. Twice. First time she tricked young medic in getting close to check wounds on her hip, then used her legs to render poor fool unconscious and borrowed his pen to open handcuffs. After that her luck runs out, she gets tasered right outside cell. Glad that for some reason she didn't killed poor doctor, Natasha draws conclusion that whoever is running this show are aware of her ability to manipulate and monitors closely whenever someone is in her cell. From what she saw while dragged inside, there is not enough staff for truly thorough monitoring, so next time she will try in better time. Lonelier time.

Then they pumped her with some fancy chemical cocktail, that, Natasha guesses, was truth serum on steroids. She vomits until nothing is left, then just crawls in corner and dry heaves while her altered chemical balance battles injected drugs. When conscience slips she cannot help to appreciate irony that one of most dangerous assassins will die from simple drug incompatibility.

Second escape attempt is full improvisation. After loosing conscience, Natasha wakes in infirmary with IV dripping saline. She is tied to bed and doctors are careful to not give her an opening, but the place is meant to mend friendly patients so it cannot be as secure as cell by default. Her opening comes in early morning when the light already is out and people loose alert reserved for darkness. To get out of ties, Black widow dislocates both thumbs and sharp sides of plastic brazes her hands, but that is small price for freedom. Then she snatches coat, sweatpants and white doctors slippers from locker in adjacent shower room.

The glum daylights make everyone look like zombie so her unhealthy state do not betray her while she politely nods to people passing by. She even earns some appreciative glances. Ten minutes later there is a guard resting in female bathroom while his gun is securely tucked under white lab coat. Feeling whole again, Natasha allows small shiver of pleasure feeling cold steel against her naked skin. It all goes to hell in hall right before exit. The guards at post picks up phone and immediately starts to scan area. Someone must have found her empty bed and rang alarm. Her hand slips after gun and Black widow is ready to shoot her way out as soon as guards notice that she is the one they seek.

Excruciating pain hits her palm and force of impact trows her on the floor, soon followed by another hit of hot pain in her leg right below knee. Attempts to stand up are unsuccessful, the arrow has pinned her to floor, the gun kicked few meters away. The fact that she was hit by arrow... composite, techy, modern looking, but still arrow Black widow files away for later analysis. For now it will be enough task to pull them out while mystery archer is approaching. Looks like the rest are more afraid from her then from whatever punishment they will face for letting her go and keep their distance.

With one hand free, she lacks the power needed to dislodge the arrow from floor, so holding deep breath Natasha yanks right hand free over the index feather, coloring it bright red. Silent thud marks third arrow landing right in front of her. This one has advanced tip and small red light indicator, all her instincts mark it as explosive. There is no way she will run fast enough to avoid it, but no immediate explosion follow. She scans area for an archer, while hands try to pry loose second arrow. The archer is closer then she expected and his hands are playing with part of bow that shines awful lot same color as the explosive on arrow.

The message is loud and clear, so her hand stop pulling an arrow pinning her leg.


	2. some offers you cannot refuse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since alternative is crushed trachea, Natasha starts to consider offer as an option. Temporary option.

After doctors left, the archer is only one with her in infirmary. In other situation she would feel confident about chances of getting out, but something about all this debacle makes her uneasy. He has almost no weapons, disadvantage for her, because weapon would make things easier if your palm and leg is shot.

"As far as I see," suddenly the archer says, "we are in a bit of stalemate."

Natasha looks to him estimating. That guy has army written all over, from stance to short hair. But the rest of this place do not smell like army. And the guys weapon of choice is as unarmy as it gets, no one runs around with bow in army. His clothes looks like uniform, tho. Black, well worn, his size and she can bet her last salary, reinforced in ways public science have no idea about.

The archer looks to her, intense and estimating. "The psych team said you are messing with them and there is no way you will willingly disclose what we need to know. Inbreed loyalty to Russia, mental conditioning plus extended psych endurance training"

Natasha is actually surprised. Usually they need more time to figure that out. And the wording too much reminds the red room terminology and she cannot help but wonder what documents she missed and if her captors are aware about changes her handlers introduced when black widow program ceased to be government and become private forge of assassins for hire.

His interest spikes and the gaze turns even more intense so Natasha mentaly slaps herself for letting some emotions seep through mental blocks and manifest themselves. This is not drug lord who is questioning weak and pathetic lover of his rival.

"The lab in one voice agrees that they will more likely kill you then conjure anything that will work on you." the archer continues "but I have an orders. They include getting you to talk, so, we are left with two options"

Natasha can calculate both options and suddenly it strikes her that there is serious chance that she will never leave this place alive or not wishing for immediate death as relief.

"There is torture. Since pain is your friend" he shoots a look to bandaged hand "the torture will have to become creative and... permanent."

She is chilled to the bone. Not by treats, it isn't first time she is under risk of loosing limb, sense or skin on face. What scares her like little girl is the way how those treats are delivered, efficiently, with a pause for her to contemplate. Her captor knows there is no need for embellished stories of what he will do and how he can damage her permanently. He knows there is no need to waste time in voicing what she sees in her head.

Natasha would rather die then allow that to happen and only mean of dying is her torturer to be. There will be just one chance to get him act and all her training is worthless if Natasha cannot read ex-army sniper well enough to make his self preservation instincts to kick in.

While he watches her, intense and letting the fear whirl around, she estimates him, way more subtle. His knee hurts and Natasha cannot help to smile inside realizing where her kick landed when they took her in abandoned street of Sverdlovsk. He holds his hands in a way that would allow him to withdraw them in any moment. She has seen people with same awareness towards their palms. Pianists. Archers. Berries from same field, Natasha thinks and the plan starts to form. Go for his right hand, don't lower or duck head when left hand grabs you by throat, don't break free, start breaking the right palm in deadly grip so crushing her trachea are only way to release his precious palm, don't fight darkness.

"Or you could just tell us how to wipe from earth's face red room and come to work for good guys" archer says nonchalantly, like listing new ways of torture.

Natasha cannot help herself to look in his eyes, openly seeking the signs of madness. "ты что с дуба рухнул?"* slips from her lips before Widow regains composure.

"Nope, I did not fell from an oak tree. And don't have concussion if that is what you imply. I am sure we can use your talents and you could benefit from some.. community service" the archers voice are calm and even slightly entertained.

Since alternative is crushed trachea, Natasha starts to consider offer as an option. Temporary option.

It takes four years for her to dig out the records of her recruitment and find out that the offer was not sanctioned and full order was "extract info, kill source". At least this time the creditor is not dead face in her nightmares.

Have you fallen from oak tree? - direct translation. Meaning - are you nuts?


End file.
